Housing and homelessness

Council's action on Housing and Homelessness

Council acknowledges the housing crisis and supports people experiencing homelessness by working to make housing more affordable. We also work and partner with local services to support those sleeping rough, treating them with care and respect.

Outreach services in Port Phillip

Several services conduct daily outreach to key sites across Port Phillip including Launch Housing (RSI), Better Health Network, Ngwala Willumbong, and Sacred Heart Mission’s Journey to Social Inclusion program. 

Weekly or planned outreach is undertaken by Alfred Health’s Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Service, depending on client needs and locations. Services such as Salvation Army, Wintringham, and Southside Justice provide outreach upon request or to existing clients, while others like Port Phillip Community Group, First Step, South Port Community Housing Group, St Kilda Community Housing, and Uniting are drop-in or tenant-focused services and do not conduct street outreach.

This mix of proactive, planned, and reactive outreach ensures a broad safety net across the community, tailored to both individual and systemic needs.

All of these organisations have representation at Port Phillip Zero which conducts weekly service coordination meetings to understand the needs of the rough sleepers on the By Name List.

New Homelessness and Affordable Housing Strategy

On 10 December 2025 Council endorsed our new Homelessness and Affordable Housing Strategy 2026-36 for our City. This strategy will guide Council’s role in helping people who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness to find secure housing. It will also outline how we support access to affordable and social (public and community) housing.

Safe, secure, and accessible housing is a fundamental determinant of health and a cornerstone of a socially diverse and inclusive community across the City of Port Phillip, including the significant growth area of Fishermans Bend. Improving housing and food security is one of the City’s five key health priorities, as outlined in the Plan for Port Phillip.

This Strategy is Council’s key strategic document to focus efforts on improving housing security. It provides a 10-year roadmap to enhance housing affordability and reduce homelessness, reaffirming Council’s commitment to making Port Phillip a place with sufficient, safe, and appropriate housing for those who need it most.

Developed through a comprehensive, multi-dimensional process, the Strategy incorporates two phases of community engagement, strategic analysis, and evidence-based research.

Council will continue to contribute to inclusion and social cohesion through:
•    Strategic planning and development incentives
•    Innovative approaches to identifying housing opportunities
•    Strong advocacy to other levels of government to ensure planning systems support housing affordability

Our advocacy priorities include:
•    Increasing housing supply
•    Strengthening protections for renters
•    Securing early delivery of accessible public transport in Fishermans Bend to unlock its potential for housing close to employment

Explore

Council's strategies, support and housing projects:

Contact us

Our Housing and Homelessness Services team are here to help.

Send a request on My Port Phillip

Phone: 03 9209 6777

Email: housing@portphillip.vic.gov.au

If you are concerned about someone’s immediate safety or wellbeing, please contact 000.